If you want success there is a truth that must be learned and accepted “there is no short cut to long term success whether as a Business or in a Personal Career. As a special note when the word Career has a Verb connotation, It has the following meaning “To move rapidly straight ahead, especially in an uncontrolled way.”
I found myself in that position when I first started Drive4 U Ltd, full of Determination & Perseverance and a strong will to succeed. What I didn’t realize was my company was moving straight ahead rapidly with no one steering it even though I believed there was.
Here is the lesson I learned from those initial days of chaos and I call them that as they truly were days where I felt like a chicken with no head running around and accomplishing nothing. What I gained was that perseverance is a great thing if used while under control and as a part of an overall plan.
My initial actions of perseverance were as the following definition “continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.” When I looked at the situations or challenges before me I allowed perseverance to be the controlling factor in my decision making, which in looking back was an error. I was expending a huge amount of energy,and time and appeared to be just spinning my wheels and moving ever so slightly forward. I wonder how many others out there are in similar situations and just haven’t realized it, because like me they believed perseverance would eventually win out. I knew perseverance was a key factor to being successful and wanted to find what was missing in my approach, why was I not seeing more results for my efforts and time, what was I doing wrong?
The analysis showed me my business plan was attainable but my efforts were being scattered and I needed to focus my perseverance by using this definition “persistent determination to adhere to a plan of direction”. Now that my business plan was working I needed to be very consistent in how I used my perseverance and be focused on moving forward in controlled steps, instead of trying to rush to the finish, a common mistake in most new small business ventures.
At this point I brought determination into play with my overall plan of change and followed this definition as the ground work of that change ” having the quality of mind which reaches definite conclusions”. So here was my anchor which would keep me grounded and allow me to truly focus on what was important and then deal with the other relevant factors which were all the pieces needed to bring my company to a long term success. This required an extensive amount of work in the initial stages, but as a routine was developed, it became easier and relatively smoother similar to exercising a muscle I just got stronger and more informed..
So like the title says perseverance and determination under control create Motivation which again is powerful in it’s own right. However it must be utilized and focused under a controlled plan of action, this is when I realized a decision had to be made what market was I interested in focusing my efforts on.
I’m not sure but I believe most small business owners do not realize that their market has two sectors to it one being General clients the other a Specific Niche clientele. Today the marketing Gurus and agencies market to the general clientele looking for a % return through focusing to a general group with their message.
In Specific Niche marketing you first need to identify who your targeting your message to and Why, this is where perseverance, determination and finally motivation all come into play. The WHY is the key to successful Niche marketing as it slowly develops a strong business relationship with your clientele on a personal level not on a monetary basis.
“Oh” Yes there are many out there saying right now but that’s what I am doing already and am slowly losing them as clients. Remember in the opening statement I stated I was there as well believing I was steering the company but in reality was not.
If you believe your there then you should be able to answer these simple questions about your clientele:
What does he take in his coffee? When is his birthday or anniversary if married? How long has he been dating his current girlfriend? On a business note what position of authority does he/she hold with his/her company? Does your client require E/A or Concierge assistance when in your vehicle? Is your client able to utilize WiFi or charge his laptop or smartphone in your vehicle? How often does he/she fly out on business? How well do you know your client and his specific needs as a business person, to be specific is it important to him/her to be on time personally for appointments? How important is his/her family to them or are they career driven?
These are samples of the information you require in knowing who your marketing too within a Niche market. For some it will be too much as it takes perseverance, determination and motivation to develop a client data base which will allow you to direct market your clients on a personal level rather than a general market. The difference being in a Niche market you care about the individual in a General market your interested in how much they will spend.
As I said before this is just my opinion for what’s it worth but has worked for me over the last 14 years, Have a good one and all the best in your endeavors.
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